Challenges to Faith
Journal
Matt Hohenberger
1) Explain the major key idea of the section.
The key idea in this section involves the challenges of faith in our lives. We have many challenges to our faith due to the world around us and the way we live our lives. One major challenge that is covered is the acknowledgement of a God. This differs from person to person, like atheists such as Friederich Nietzsch and Thomas Hobbes, or a man of faith like Jesuit Ignatius Loyola. The other major challenge to faith is the contrast between Catholic views and scientific knowledge. These challenges to our faith affect the way we live our life as children of God.
2) List and explain two of the most important ideas you want to remember from this section.
One very interesting idea that I came across in this section is the difference between a positive atheist and a practical atheist. A positive atheist is someone who firmly believes, through reflection, that God does not exist. They have their own beliefs away from God which is a key part of their lives and defines their character. But then there are practical atheists who do belong to a church or call themselves Catholic. They live their lives without seeing God in anything they do, and they do not reflect on a personal God. They may call themselves Christians, but they have no faith life. I think this is important to know so that we can make sure that we do not fall into a pattern of an unexamined life and become practical atheists ourselves.
One of the most important ideas from the section involves the relationship between the Church and science. The history between the two has gone from unreflective unity to reflective disunity, and is now entering into reflective unity. I think that it is important to think of the relationship between science and religion as the relationship between me and my parents. I think that although it may be important to know how science and religion has changed over the years, the concept of the history of relationships is even more important for a teenager trying to make sense of his life and grow up in a world were he or she is trying to take control of his or her life.
3) One image that captures the chapter for me:
4) How does this apply to me here and now?
Challenges to faith for me today are things such as the death of family members or friends, such as Chris Zandstra, seeing homeless veterans on the sidewalk, or watching someone suffer from a disease or injury. These things strengthen my feelings of not believing in a God.
But I think that the greatest challenge of faith for me today is pressure: pressure from schoolwork and having to stay up late to finish it, pressure I put on myself to get good grades, pressure that I put on myself to be a leader and influence on my volleyball team, and pressure that I have after a long day of school and volleyball practice. The list goes on, but I think that some of these pressures weaken my faith because I hardly have time to reflect upon my day. Sometimes I am so busy I do not have time to think about anything else besides the task at hand. I feel weighed down and find relief in the TV or sleep, and I can also be completely distracted by my exhaustion during mass. At times, I am not even able to think during mass because I feel like I am going to be put to sleep by the boringness of mass. I guess my greatest challenge of faith would be my lifestyle, my schedule, and the pressure that results.
To see the source of the picture, simply click on it.
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